The internet is a popular information gathering tool where visitors, seeking specific information, move from website to website. Often it is useful for the website host to gather and maintain information about a website visitor. Collection of website visitor information is one of the functions typically performed by the website log software. Typically, the webserver logs information related to website visitor requests including but not limited to: where the request came from, what document was requested, the time of the request, and who (identifier) the request was made by. In addition, the web server log typically will collect information related to the type of document accessed. For example, the website log software typically reports the file name and file type of requested documents. Based on the image file type, the website host typically can determine whether the requested document is an image or text file.
The internet is also becoming an increasingly popular tool for the sale of goods. Sellers hosting websites are with increasing frequency posting product brochures which include both text and image data. For consumer sales, it is particularly valueable for website hosts to know how often, and what areas of their website visitors are accessing so that the website content can be adjusted.
For example, say a product brochure includes an image file of a well dressed man. Visible in the image file is a jacket, pants, shirt, tie, belt and shoes. However, in the proposed scenario, the tie is not listed as one of the items for sale. If the website host knew that website visitors were repeatedly zooming in on the tie portion of the image file, the website host might change the website content of the product brochure to list the tie as an item for sale. Alternatively, if the tie was listed as an item for sale in a different location of the product brochure, the website host might modify the website content to either put the tie as an item for sale on the page associated with the image file or alternatively might provide a link that the visitor could use within the brochure to easily transfer the visitor to the page of the brochure where the tie is listed as an item for sale.
Typically, today's log analysis software presents access statistics that correspond to the entire image file and not just the portions of the image that are accessed. The image log access output may be presented graphically or numerically. Numerical representation of the image log access typically consists of a list of images and a number associated with each image corresponding to the number of accesses for the image. Graphical representation of the image log access typically consists of a bar corresponding to each image where the bar height varies according to the number of times a particular image is accessed. Unfortunately, these numerical and graphical results do not offer the viewer easily digestible insight into what portions of an image viewers are most interested in.
A method and apparatus for easily visualizing the frequency at which portions of an image are accessed is needed.